Author's notes: This is a compiled fic made from an rpg XD which has reached over 100 pages of unedited text in 1 week. So we're WAY behind the storyline in what we post XD. But being as we're both obsessed with rping, and fics… this is gonna go for a while!
A note on the title: Anachronism: n. 1. An error in chronology in which a person, object, event, ect., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one. 2. a thing or a person that belongs to another, esp. an earlier time. 3. In relation to Chrno crusade: relating to the specific character by the name Chrno, who belongs in another previous earlier time.
Chapter one: 'Back to the future….'
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Joshua Christopher yawned widely, as he watched the hover cars spin by the tower at a breakneck pace, as he stood patiently in line for the transporter. "Maaa Rosette?" He glanced over his shoulder and saw the enormous entry way filled with patrons walking up and down the escalators busy on their way...but no sign of his blonde-haired-bouncy sister.... "She probably went to get food again...." Joshua sighed.
"Terminal Two, prepare for departure".
He glanced up at the sign. "We're going to be late for school at this rate... what the heck is she doing?" He took a quick breath from his small respirator that was attached to his wrist, which gave him strength to go about the day normally, and glanced around. "Well...I can't leave her..." He ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair, grabbed his bag and turned jogging back into the crowd.
Joshua pulled himself out of sight, sighed with some resignation, and scratched his head. "Where could she have gone... well...." He glanced in either direction, and then reached into his coat and pulled out a COM phone. They weren't supposed to use them in here, but... "Rosette? Rosette, where are you? We're going to miss the transport."
Rosette glanced around the tower, wincing as she was shuffled about, bouncing against shoulders and bags. Her eyes flicked up to the floating signs that were cheerfully directing people about, trying to see from her position where the food hall was. "Maa.. Maybe I should have taken Joshua with me." She wrinkled her nose, fighting through the crowds towards a random direction, hoping that she might find the correct way.
The hallway was dark, and the eleven-year-old glanced about her surroundings, noting that she was probably in a bad area, turning about to go back, looking about the winding path she had taken, not sure where to go.
"Crap." She muttered, tightening her grip on her briefcase, trotting around with wide eyes. "Aw man! We're going to be late for school again. Sister Kate isn't going to be happy..." She thought of the catholic school with a slight shiver.
Her pocket rumbled with her brothers broken voice, and she pulled it out, glancing around the empty corridor for anyone. "I don't know Joshua. I was trying to get a donut, but I went the wrong way... If there aren't any cops about, turn on your locator." She cupped the COM to her mouth, leaning over to hide it from any eyes that might be watching.
Joshua sighed and flipped the panel up, and stared at the beeping dots. Sure enough, she was down several alleys away. "Ok, hold on I'm coming... don't go anywhere..." He turned and began to follow the route, since he was good about not getting lost... Joshua was the technological geek of the 'family' while Rosette could get lost in their own apartment...
"Un ok." She said softly, looking for a safe place to sit, picking out a carton and sat on it lightly, leaning back against the wall with a sigh. Why was this always happening to her? She looked about the hallway, the books that she'd been stealing from Joshua's stash making her mind bring up weird thoughts of monsters and robbers; She turned slightly blue. You better hurry Joshua.
Joshua didn't waste time, and soon enough, he came panting from around the corner, pulling on the high collared uniform as he panted. "Sheesh... what the heck is this place... Looks like part of the Old City..." He glanced around, his eyes suddenly getting wide with excitement....
The Old city… it was not a pleasant place to travel through, for all the dark shady suspects hung out in it. The Old City was what was left of New York after the 3rd war, ruined buildings, decimated streets, and dangerous people, filled with the potential for a non-sterile free environment. They weren't supposed to be here, obviously.
Rosette nodded, raising an eyebrow at his look. "Yeah, it does..." She looked up at the place, noting the old fashioned mechanics, and dust that covered everything. "I wonder why they haven't blocked off this place." She stood up, fingering the ten-year-old's respirator and lifting it up to him worriedly. "You ok? This dust isn't good for your lungs."
Joshua wheezed a bit, and took another couple breaths, and his wheezing eased. "I'm fine... I just got the filter replaced." He glanced up, and peered around, suddenly a bit weirded out by the emptiness around them. "Do you think these buildings were here before the Third War?"
"Maybe, seeing that most of it is made of cement rather then steel..." She reached over and brushed some dust off of a sign. "It would be nice to explore this some time..."She smiled, before something came to her mind. "Crap! The transport is going to leave in two minutes! We're not going to make it." She gave an exasperated look at her brother. "What's the point of even trying to get there?"
Joshua's eyes glittered. "Yeah we're not going to make it today..." His hand snatched hers and he began tugging as he took a few steps further down the alley. "Come on! Let's look around then! It'll be an adventure!"
She laughed, nodding as she trotted to his side, swinging her brothers hand as they went deeper into the forgotten city. Together, the siblings wound their way through the ruins, sometimes having to pick their way carefully...
The New City was built mostly on TOP of the old city, but there were places towards the bottom of the platform built metropolis that overlapped...the transport was on the bottom for safety reasons, and was one of those places.
Joshua stopped suddenly, as the ground softened beneath his feet as the concrete pavement stopped, where it had been uprooted by something or other long ago. "Um... this may not be safe..."
Rosette snorted, pulling forward until she stood a few feet before him. "Look... It's fine!" She stomped on the cement, only to feel it wobble beneath her. "Uh oh..."
Joshua gasped, and lunged forward, grabbing her hand and tried to pull her back. "Rosette!!! Look ou-----wahhhh."
The whole ground gave way, the floor crumbled beneath their feet, and blackness engulfed them as they fell a good distance down...before landing on a pile of soft dirt which broke their fall.
Rosette coughed on the dust, waving her hand in front her face, as she sat up, looking about the area. "Are you alright Joshua?" She asked, wincing at the pain in her bum "What the heck happened?"
Joshua coughed a bit, and waved the dust away from his face. "Yeah I think I'm ok...I... dunno. I guess we fell." He squinted around, but the darkness was complete. "Where are we...?"
She shook her head, looking around the thick dust laden area, Standing up with a bit of pain in her body, offering him her hand. "We should look for a way out..."
He grabbed it, and coughed, brushing more fine silt off. "Yeah..." He punched another button on the armband, and a bright light lit up the chamber like day...
They were in a small room, that appeared to have once been a hall, but was caved in on one side, and on the other, blocked off by a tall door with intricate fancy writing. A scent of musty stale air reached their noses, as if no one had set foot within the chamber in a very long time.
She peered through the light stepping up to the door, staring at the inscriptions. "Joshua, your taking old world languages aren't you? What does this say?" She motioned towards the writing, pushing her eyebrows together.
Joshua blinked, and stepped forward eagerly, and peered at the door. It was so thickly covered in dust, that he had to touch it and brush some away to see the words. "It's... Latin... it says... 'Sealed... away.... eternally.... toga.... to...something.... something.... eternal time relinquished...?" He looked up puzzled, and just shot her a confused look. "No idea.... it's so worn out that I..."
Suddenly BRIGHT blue light lit up the whole door blinding them both, as the words illuminated in blue, then the whole room shuddered and shook part of the ceiling which began collapsing down around them.
Rosette gasped, grabbing her brother's wrist, throwing them forward out of the way of the falling rocks, wincing as she felt the respirator crunch slightly as they just barely missed the downfall.
Joshua quickly grabbed onto her shoulders, clinging tightly in fear, as everything stopped shaking around them, and the doors stood open. "Are... are you ok?"
"Yeah..." She whispered, sitting up and facing her brother, inspecting him in the ribbons of light that slipped out from the cracks in the landslide. She found nothing but a few scratches and a few bruises that would hurt tomorrow. Then her eyes trailed into the room that they were sitting before, peering into the inky depths.
Deep within the darkness, a presence was alerted to the sudden flood of light that poured in through the door.... his eyes slowly twitched once...
Joshua gulped and peered inside, but the darkness was so thick he couldn't see much. "Well... this is exciting...."
"Right, exiting. We almost died, but that's ok." She rolled her eyes, standing up and reached just her hand into the pitch.
Joshua giggled a bit, then turned his gaze into the room, and stepped inside.
"Ah ah. Wait for me!"
The room was dark, small...and empty... except for a single figure, who was bound in chains to a cross in the center of the room, glowing crucifix barriers surrounding him, even in the ancient gloom that permeated the atmosphere....
Rosette followed after her brother, her eyes adjusting to the light as her attention was drawn to the person. She placed a hand against her mouth, walking past her brother and just stopping where the barrier began. "Is he alive?" She whispered, staring at the crucified figure, reaching to touch one of the small silver crosses that surrounded him.
Joshua's breath held, and he stared with wide eyes, fascinated. "That's... a Cruciform Barrier... it's meant to... to contain demons and spirits...." His eyes got very wide and sparkly. "Do... do you think that he's...."
The figure didn't stir, but the two siblings could clearly see that he'd been here a long time, his clothes were covered in dust, and his hair was long and nearly to the ground...he looked ageless in a way, older than they by many years, but his face was relaxed in an almost peaceful expression.
Rosette shrugged, taking a step into the ring, feeling a slight tingle as the holy energy rushed through her school shoes, and brushed some of the dust from his cheek. "He's been here so long...look at all this dust."
Joshua stepped forward too, and as he did, the whole barrier rippled, glowed, and vibrated strongly, causing him to stare wildly around him. "Yeah...a long time..." He peered closer, eyes intent on a gleaming watch on the man's chest, which was also covered in dust, but gleaming briefly gold beneath it all.
The man seemed to be wearing something one might see in an old western... tight pants with an old gun belt on it, a sleeveless vest, and an old hat was laying on the ground where it had fallen off long ago. Though his hair was long and dark covered in fine white dust, he didn't appear to be dead, as a soft rising and falling to his chest was enough to indicate.
Rosette fingered the watch, a wave of remorse flowing over her. "Should we take him down? Its sad just to leave him here."
Joshua blinked with wide eyes. "Should we? I mean...he's probably here for a reason... what if he's a monster?"
A soft tickle of breath brushed against Rosette's fingers as dust shifted all around as just the faintest hint of motion from the man was enough to shake it free.
She pulled back her hand slightly, watching him with wide eyes, and stepping backwards quickly in surprise, her foot hitting one of the crucifixes, knocking it out of its hold on the ground. Instantly, the barrier was broken by that contact, and the brilliant glow of light around them faded, and since Rosette had broken Joshua's armband.... they were plunged into pure pitch-blackness....
"Eep..." Joshua gasped, fumbling around to find his sister. "R...Rosette? You ok? Where are you...?"
"Ah. Right here!" She fumbled swirling around; she started to walk with her hands outstretched, reaching for her brother. She stopped with a thunk as she hit into a firm chest, dust swirling about her with seemed like a flurry of defiance. She shivered slightly, "J-Joshua..."
The chest beneath her hands was warm and comforting perhaps...but it wasn't her brother, as it became quite obvious, when a pair of glowing red eyes opened slowly from above her, spilling their eerie luminance across the room, bathing them in the dim red light.
"...Who.... who has awakened me...?"
Joshua gulped, and stood frozen, eyes widened. "Ahh... R...R...R.... Ro....s...s...ette...?"
Rosette looked up into those eyes, her body tensing slightly, her lips parting in shock, unable to move. "Ah...Who are you?" She gaped, furrowing her brows.
The glowing eyes remained steady, but lowered to somewhat gaze at the young girl in the room. ".... Chrno...is my name..." His voice sounded rather hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in ages, and given he state of things...it was probably true.
Joshua gulped, but felt his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. What an adventure! Action, fright, what more could you asks for! "W...What are you?"
"...A demon."
She stepped backwards slightly, "Impossible, Demons are only in fairy tales."
Yeah...fairy tales and stuff." Joshua stepped forward, his fear dissolving as he stared up with wonder, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder.
She glanced at the tight leather binds that held his wrists in place. Her eyes softened, "That must hurt..." she mumbled to herself.
Chrno was silent for a few heartbeats, before speaking again, as his gaze shifted over to the bindings keeping him in place. "...It has been so long, I no longer feel it...."
"Joshua." She looked over at him, giving him a look, before moving over to the bound man's wrist, fumbling with the latches, slowly removing the rotted layers of leather.
"Hai!" He quickly went to the other side, and began to undo the straps as well, which wasn't hard considering they were so aged and worn, they practically disintegrated in his hands. The chains were a bit harder however... But as Joshua touched them, they suddenly shattered beneath his fingers, becoming pure pinpoints of light, and vanishing to his surprise.
The man's eyes slipped shut again, as the two children worked to unbind him, until his arms slowly sagged as they removed the catches, until the last chain holding him in place slipped free, and with a heavy rush of dust, he fell heavily to the ground.
Rosette bent over, placing a soft hand on the man's shoulder. "Are you ok?" She asked worriedly, peering up at her brother through the dust that filled every inch of the air.
His breath came deep, and almost gasping, as he lay on his back, staring up with a rather dazed expression, the glowing red light fading from his eyes, leaving them once more in darkness. ".... Ah...I'm just...out of energy."
Joshua knelt down beside the two of them, his breath quick and wheezing a bit from all the dust. "How long have you BEEN down here?"
"Joshua, your respirator." Rosette snapped instinctively, fumbling for her briefcase. When she got hold of it, she pulled her COM out from inside, flicking it open so that the room lit up faintly from its green glow. She then reached back in and pulled out her lunch, a bit crumbled from their fall. "Here, its not that freeze dried crap you get at school. Its actual food." she offered the bag to him, closing her eyes amiably.
"Ah. You broke it, Rosette..." Joshua whined pathetically, picking up his busted wristband.
The prone man blinked in surprise as Rosette pushed food into his hands, and he slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position, blinking at it. "A.... ah... thanks..." He tentatively took a bite, almost as if he'd never seen someone offer him food before.
"Broke it? Are you all right? We'll have to get you a new one soon."
Joshua wilted a bit at her chidings. "You're the one who broke it, Rosette..." He muttered but stuck the busted thing in his pocket.
She looked over at her brother worriedly, her eyebrows pinching together, leaning over the older man to check Joshua's features. "Tell me if your having problems breathing alright?" She glanced back down at the man, pointing at herself. "By the way, I'm Rosette Christopher, and this is my brother, Joshua."
The man blinked, but smiled faintly as he finished up the rest of the crumbly sandwich. "It's...nice to meet you both..."
The ground rumbled beneath them, spreading around the room, sending rocks from the former landslide to start tumbling into the room.
"Ah...what was that?" Rosette asked, placing her hands against the floor to support herself, giving the two men a fearful look. Above them a low car nearly hit the ground, sending shock waves deep into the ground from the energy impact that kept the blasted thing in the air.
Joshua squeaked a bit, and looked up worriedly. "We should probably get out of here... this whole place could collapse anytime."
Chrno's eyes were wide, and he slowly managed to pull himself to his feet, brushing off his rather dusty vest, and shaking his head, sending the dust scattering off his very long hair, as he stared upwards with a baffled look. "What on earth was that...? It sounded like a locomotive..."
"It was probably a car." Rosette sighed in annoyance, taking his hand and pulling him forward, "We have really bad drivers in Neo New York." She smiled, before turning to her brother. "Now how are we going to move all this?" She asked, stopping in front of the landslide.
"New...new...York.... car?" The man seemed overly baffled, staring upwards squinting into the sunlight that was attempting to filter down through the buildings above them. In the light, his features could be more clearly seen...
Rosette stared at the man, he couldn't have been more then 20 years old, but the amount of dust that he had accumulated was far more than that, judging from the thickness of it. What had he said before, that he was a demon? But that couldn't be right, there was no such thing.
Joshua picked up the discarded hat that had been lying on the ground, and handed it up to Chrno. "Here!" He grinned, and then glanced at the landslide. "Ugh... I dunno... you don't have a laser pen do you? No. It wouldn't be strong enough anyway... maybe we can climb up one another's shoulders back up there?"
Joshua's comment caught her attention, nodding as she noted the height. "Maybe, if you don't mind...Chrno?" She asked, suddenly remembering the name that he had given them.
Chrno accepted the hat, and set it on his head, then glanced up, brushing the dust off of it, before her voice brought his eyes back down to blink at the two, then his face turned thoughtful. "Actually... I have a better idea."
Joshua coughed again, holding his lungs as more dust flew around them. "A... cough better...cough idea...?"
"Joshua? Are you alright?" Rosette asked worriedly, reaching for her brother while looking up at Chrno with a confused look. "What is it, Joshua shouldn't stay in this place to much longer."
Chrno's gaze lowered to the glittering gold watch at his chest, as one hand grasped it tightly, his eyes looking distant, then he knelt down so that he was eye-level with the two of them, and peered up at their eyes intently. "You two have my gratitude for waking me... If you hadn't found me, who knows how long I'd be stuck there... so because of that, I feel indebted to repay you somehow." He lifted the clock off of his chest, and held it out towards Rosette. "This is yours...until you decide to return it to me.... it's something that you should take very good care of...because my life depends upon it..."
Joshua coughed some more, and squinted at the clock curiously. "What is it?"
Rosette took it, fingering it lightly, looking at her reflection in its glass. "What does it do?"
"I'm bound to it." He replied quietly, his eyes not leaving hers. "Long ago I was forced into that position...now, I cannot use my power unless the one who bears that allows me to do so... You can understand why I guard it so...in the wrong hands I would be asked to do terrible things, and I would be unable to refuse..."
Joshua perked up as Rosette slipped it over her neck, letting it rest on her chest, her hand sliding to touch the glass once more.. "So... you're like a genie?"
Chrno blinked at Joshua, and scratched his nose curiously. "Maa...well something like that. Only no wishes involved..." He turned his gaze back to her and smiled rather sadly. "Now..." He picked up the clock and pointed. "Right now it's partially open... This has been what's kept me alive while being sealed. From here you can either..." He made a motion as if turning the dial up top to the right. "Either completely seal my power away.... or...." He made a motion in the other direction. "Open it all the way."
Joshua was squinting hard at him, and then pushed the man's hat back and poked at the side of his head. "He has pointy ears...."
Rosette's attention was drawn away from the clock, instead looking up to where Joshua had motioned, her eyes going wide at the sight of his ears. "Kawaii..." She said obliviously, resisting the urge to touch them.
The man's face reddened a bit, and he went a little cross-eyed at the two children who were very easily distracted.
"Um..."
"Ne ne! Can you fly too? Do you have wings? Like a bat?" Joshua gushed excitedly.
Rosette puffed up her cheeks. "Of course he can fly, all demons in fairy tales can fly why couldn't he? They also can spit fire, right Chrno?"
Chrno went flat faced. "Uh... f...fire? They can?"
"No silly that's DRAGONS that spit fire. Demons are ugly evil creatures from hell!" Joshua corrected her.
"But..." She examined Chrno for a minute, before pointing at him while looking at her brother, "He isn't ugly. I thought Dragons stole peoples souls."
"No no, dragons eat people, demons suck out their souls and blood!"
"Uh... ano...."
"Vampires suck blood stupid! Not demons!"
"Demons like blood though! Right?" Joshua grabbed Chrno's hand, all starry eyed.
"Um... I don't really... care for it..."
The whole ground began to rumble again as another car flew-by, and several chunks of ceiling fell down around them.
"That's despite the point. You do have wings, right Chrno?" She asked, her attention once again returning to the watch, reaching to fiddle with the knob.
"Um. Yes I do..." He said, still glancing between the two somewhat awkwardly.
"Then you can get us out of here, right!? Come on let's go!" Joshua gasped, forgetting his wheezing. "I've always wanted to fly.... I mean REALLY fly...not in those stupid claustrophobic hover cars."
"And if I turn this knob, then you can?" Rosette cranked the watch hard to the left, loosening it completely, watching with a bit of surprise as the entire clock snapped apart. She flashed her brother an adventurous grin.
The moment she snapped the clock open, an answering surge of power surrounded Chrno, brilliant and blinding green light, until it faded, and he knelt there in the same position, but looking much different, as he opened his eyes, taking a deep breath, feeling the power flood through him, regenerating his weak constitution. He wore a tattered cloak which blended with the wings laying flat across his back, tight pants, and two metal strips adorned his cheek above each eye, one below, then wrapped back and twisted around the horns protruding from the back of his head, enwrapping them with a shining metal entwined among the ivory, almost as if someone had drilled, or branded them on.
Joshua stumbled back since he'd been REALLY close to him, and gasped, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "COOL!!" Both children gasped.
Chrno smiled a bit at that, and stood up abruptly, wings snapping out at his side. "You act as if you've never seen a demon before...."
"We haven't!!" Joshua protested with a wide grin. "They never existed before."
"Your kind was nothing but stories, the type told to small children." Rosette reached over, hesitantly touching the membranous wings, "I never thought in a million years that we'd find you."
Chrno blinked a bit, as she stared at his wings. "How odd.... when I was sealed..." He trailed off, an odd look crossing his face. "How long HAVE I been sealed then....?"
"Its 2170."
That about floored him, as his wings and ears both wilted. "T...twenty one...." He put a hand to his face. "Oh my...."
Joshua blinked. "Nani nani?"
"Are you alright Chrno?" Rosette asked, looking at him nervously.
"Three hundred years.... it's been three hundred years...." He muttered, looking shaken.
"Whoa... no WONDER you look like a cowboy or something..." Joshua ogled.
The ceiling rumbled once more, sending chunks of rock falling above them. Chrno's head lifted, and he shook his head, looking a bit flustered, but his wings snapped out, whipping one of the rocks away as it hit. "We'd better get out of here first.... You can catch me up later...." He sighed, but held out his arms for the two.
Joshua eagerly scrambled forward, and Chrno wrapped an arm supportively around the boy's waist. Rosette followed after, not so sure on how to hold on. This wasn't like the transport after all.
Chrno gently scooped her up in his other arm, and looked up at the ceiling above them. Then with a slight surge of power surrounding him, his wings spread and they began to lift into the air, shooting up out of the hole, and into the sky.
TBC